NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—After the cancellation of the 2020 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting in Orlando, preparations are underway for the 2021 meeting to be held in Nashville at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.
SBC Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd is hosting a video conference call Aug. 11 with pastors to share more about the event and encourage as many churches as possible to send messengers to the 2021 Annual Meeting. Scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CDT, the call is expected to last around 45 minutes.
Floyd, like many Southern Baptists, is looking forward to the SBC reconvening next summer.
“I can’t wait for Southern Baptists to come to Nashville,” he said. “While it was disappointing to miss coming together due to COVID-19, now is the time to get engaged for the future. The 2021 Annual Meeting should be one of the biggest and most exciting conventions in recent years, as we see each other again and unite on mission to take the Gospel to every person in every town, every city, every state, and every nation.”
SBC President J.D. Greear will preside over the meeting. His term in office was extended due to the cancellation of the 2020 meeting, which prevented the election of new officers.
“I’m looking forward to reconnecting at our annual meeting in Nashville in 2021, where we will continue pursuing our theme of Gospel Above All,” Greear said in a statement. “Since the cancellation of this year’s annual meeting, it is more important than ever that thousands of Southern Baptists plan on coming together next year to reflect together on what God has done and anticipate what He will do.”
One unique aspect of the gathering will be a reformatting of Sunday and Monday from the typical SBC Pastors’ Conference to a Send Conference event hosted by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the International Mission Board (IMB). The 2021 Send Conference will help believers of all ages understand how to carry out the calling in their lives and equip pastors to help church members live out their calling wherever God has placed them.
“We (NAMB) are looking forward to working with (IMB President) Paul Chitwood and the IMB to celebrate all God is doing through Southern Baptist mission efforts,” NAMB President Kevin Ezell told Baptist Press. “It will also be a time of personal challenge to all of us to recommit our efforts to sharing Christ with our friends, family and neighbors in everyday life.”
Hotel registration for next year’s annual meeting opens Oct. 1, 2020. With the gathering being held at one of the largest hotels in the country, most messengers will be able to stay on-site, with just a short walk across the hotel facility to the meeting spaces.
“Our entire team is excited about preparing for and hosting the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting here in Nashville,” said Bill Townes, the convention manager. “Opryland provides a great opportunity to fellowship with its nearly nine acres of indoor gardens, more than a dozen restaurants and an indoor water park. As an added bonus, the majority of hotel and meeting rooms will be under one roof, and there are also several hotels of varying price points located in close proximity to Opryland. Our entire team is working diligently with the convention center team to ensure that our planning promotes the health and safety of all of our attendees next year.”
Registration and exhibitor information will be available at sbcannualmeeting.net in the coming weeks.
